Method of denicotinizing tobacco



Patented, Dec. 11, 19 34 I I i I METHOD OF DENICOTINIZING TOBACCO Ludwig Max Lippmann, Berlin, Germany No Drawing. Application August 7, 1934, Serial No. 738,864. In Germany April 1, 1931 5 Claims. (Cl. 131-6) UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE It is known that the fermentation of tobacco subsequent step will automatically produce the involves a reduction of the proportion of nicorequired basic condition in such a case. tinev originally contained in the tobacco leaves. According to my present method it is sumcient It is impossible, however, todenicotinize tobacco in many cases to only moisten the tobacco so 5 completely or remove all nicotine contained that a solution or extract will not form, but-if 5 therein simply by way of fermentation, a condesired or required, in other cases, water in siderable proportion of nicotine remaining in excess may be used so that the tobacco will be the fermented tobacco leaves in an even more submerged or covered y a laye of Wat and firmly adhering state. will be subjected to the fermentation and denico- Furthermore, it isknown that nicotine can. tinization process in the presence of the excess 10 at; tobacco of any other character, particularly of or will be partially degraded by removing from Water or extract formed, a separation of the tobacco upon addition of suitable substances for latter from the tobacco not being required. securing an alkaline or acid condition, but de- The reiterated or continuous addition of suitnicotinization to a complete or even to a predeable acids during the fermenting process" will termined extent cannot be attained in this way pr v t a ty of the-toba co from'rising 15 either. too high while at the same time the escape of In the known reduction of the proportion of volatile bases, particularly aroma bases, will be nicotinecontained in tobacco leaves by means of avoided thereby. fermentation the denicotinizing action of the A sl g y alkaline eondition 0f the tobacco and fermenting bacteria soon ceases. extract formed and consequently the denicotiniz- Now I have found that tobacco acquires, during action of the microbes can be maintained ing the fermentation process, a high degree of also without any addition of acids, since if the ety bywhich the vital functions of the air is continuously Supp d d the n acting to decompose thev albuminous evolved volatile bases will be removed by the subs a-ces of the tobacco and reduce the pro- .air current which obviously must be. passed portion of nicotine contained in the latter will through forcibly, or the volatile bases may be be checked, while those microbes or bacteria removed by uc o The Water escaping ue present in the tobacco andcapable of counterto evaporation at the same time should be reacting said decomposition and reduction even p c d y continuous pp until the required may come to predominate over the former. degree of denicotinization or complete denicotin- Furthermore, I have found and ascertained ization is attain d- 1 1 that a slight alkalinity of the tobacco will afford In a previously filed application (Ser.-. No. or involve the most favorable vital conditions for 490,827) filed October 23, 1930, now Patent No. the bacteria'actlng to denicotinize the tobacco. 1,876,214 by Faitelowitz as sole inventor, there Accordingly the chief. object of my, invention is has been described and claimed a method conto provide a method of subjecting tobacco, in sisting in lixiviating tobacco, squeezing out the the form oi leaves or parts thereof, to the action extract from the tobacco, s bj the x tof fermentation with admission or introduction to entation with admission of air and neuof air and balancing or neutralizing the excess tralizing the Same y dd Suitable c d J .1. ty resulting from t action of the thereto, and uniting the said extract, partially 40 bacteria or microbes by addition of a suitable mtany freed from ot e and partially conacid or the like} centrated .by evaporation, with the lixiviated Highly alkaline tobacco can be treated, prior tobacco leaves According to the present invention the said exto said fermentatmn Wlth pure water whereas cessive or additional alkalinity of the tobacco acid nature, will preferably be treated with a 233.23% s igggfi g a i gmi 1 23:2

slightly alkaline liquid especially slightly alkaline lost by evaporation is replaced from time to time water 111 order to be m t desired mitiPl by fresh water supplies until all or part of the dition' the case of tobacco Partlcularly nicotine, as desired, has been removed from the Cigarette tobacco,v howev r, P Water Without tobacco leaves. The volatile bases evolved and a y addition-9 alkali may just as Well he used expelled in this way from the extract are colin the preliminary treatment provided that care lected in any appropriate manner and returned will be taken for a sufficient admission of air. together with the extract, either partially or 5:5 The fermentation setting in thereafter in the totally, to the tobacco leaves for aromatizing forated support.

purposes, or aroma-conferring substances, from any other source may be added.

According to the present invention a strong tobacco extract of alkaline reaction containing microbes acting to decompose albuminous substances and to decompose nicotine, can be used in lieu of a slightly alkaline liquid. This will be of particular advantage when obnoxious microbes predominate over the microbes acting to denicotinize the tobacco. As compared with the usual addition of tobacco bacteria, the vitality of the useful microbes always present in tobacco leaves will be promoted thereby at the same time.

The following examples will serve to illustrate the nature of the invention, but they are merely typical cases and can be varied without departure from the nature of the invention.

Example 1 A batch of tobacco leaves moistened with pure Water, slightly alkaline water or an alkaline tobacco extract so as to be in a soft condition and easy to cut, and having an average pH value of about 8, is divided into heaps of about kg, each piled up to afford ready access of air to the leaves. To this end the tobacco may be stacked in superposed layers upon a per- The temperature of the room in which this. is done is kept preferably at 30 to 40 C. and a cloth soaked in a suitable organic acid, such as acetic acid, is spread over in contact with each of the several individual layers of the heap, the height of the single layer amounting to about 30 cm.

' The organic acid will tend to pass over from the cloth to the tobacco leaves adjacent tothe cloth, by difiusion, so that volatile bases present in the leaves will be precipitated in the form of salts. After six to twelve hours the heaps are relaid, depending upon the effect brought about by the reaction. As the leaves thus come in contact with other leaves again and again the acid will disperse throughout and act on the bases adhering to leaves of other portions of the heap.

Instead of using a cloth for the introduction or the organic acid, the latter can be supplied to the tobacco leaves immediately in the form of a mist or spray by sprinkling or by atomization. Intensive supply of air will act to promote the progress of the reaction, particularly in case of employing air enriched as regards its oxygen center The cid. rig batch of tobacco leaves under i discontinued when the desired degree of de nicotinization and decomposition of albuminous substances has been attained. Judging from our practical experience, about 65 per cent of the nicotine originally contained in tobacco leaves is removed in this way, on an average, after eight days of treatment. The process or treatment may be continued for a longer period when 'it is desired or preferred to decompose and remove all of the nicotine present in the leaves.

the heaps Example 2 g. oi tobacco leaves, containing'about 2.16 per cent of nicotine, are placed in a suitable vessel and Water is added sutdcient to cover the leaves. At the bottom of the vessel there'ore provided a number of aerating devices equipped neeaoos with Kine nozzles so as to cause the airforced therethrough to rise in the liquid in the form of minute bubbles. by means of a suitable pump or the like through the said devices so that the noise of the effervescing air will be audible and a dense, creamy foam will be produced on the liquid. At the same time acetic acid is added slowly in the 'form of minute drops, say about 300 droplets per cubic centimetre of. acetic acid, but willcient as regards the total amount not to allow the alkalinity of the liquid to grow too high.

After a? hours no nicotine can be detected any longer in the liquid or extract which, subsequently is neutralized by means or acetic acid and inspissated by evaporation in any suitable manher without being separated from the tobacco leaves.

Example 3 Tobacco leaves are treated in the same way as described in Example2 until they are completely 7 clenicotinized, which, as above stated, will take about forty-seven hours. Subsequently the tobacco leaves are taken out of the vessel and squeezed out moderately. The liquid or extract left in the vessel is neutralized by means of acetic acid and thereafter concentrated moderately by evaporation. The tobacco leaves their are subjected to a drying treatment and subsequentsly impregnated with the partly or moderately.

condensed extract in any appropriate 'manner so as to be reunited therewith.

, Example 4 Tobacco leaves containing about 1.3 per cent of nicotine are placed in a suitable vessel and three timesthe amount or weight of water is added thereto, whereupon a strong current of air is injected into the liquid to pass therethrough. Water lost by evaporation is continuously replenished, while the temperature of the injected air and of the water is kept at such a point that approximately the temperature provoked by fermentation will be maintained. After about fifty-four hours all nicotine has disappeared so that further addition of water is to be discontinued and the tobacco leaves can be dried, preferably by means of an air current.

The volatile organic bases absorbed by the air Example 5 vessel until they are absolutely free from niec tine, and subsequently squeezed out and dried. The extract thus recovered and amounting by volume to about 6009 cm. is treated with air by passing an intensive current of air therethrough, while at the same time the water lost'by evaporation is replenished continuously. The temperature of the injected air and of the water is kept at such a point that approximately the temperature provoked by fermentation will be maintained. After about twenty hours all nicotine has disappeared, when addition of water is stopped and the extract condensed to about 1008 g. by evaporation. The thus inspissated extract then is united with the dried tobacco leaves, either partially or totally, just as desired or preferred. The volatile bases escaping with the current of air are intercepted and recovered by Pure air is continuously forced means of a suitable organic acid, such as tartaric acid, in order to be added again, partially or totally, to the dried tobacco'leaves for aromatizing purposes. I

From the foregoing it is believed that the advantages and novel features of my invention will be readily understood, and therefore further detail description is deemed unnecessary. It

will be evident, however, that my invention,

while still adhered to in its main essentials, may be varied and adapted in many ways, according to the requirements desired or most suitable under different circumstances, and I therefore aim in the appended claims to embrace all modifications falling fairly within the scope of my invention.

This application is disclosed in and is derived from the co-pending application, Serial No. 600,557, filed March 22, 1932.

I claim as my invention:

1. A method of denicotinizing tobacco comprising the steps of: fermenting tobacco containing the usual bacteria and submerged in liquid, forcing air in fine subdivision through the liquid, continuously adding acid to the extent necessary to neutralize the amino bases resulting from the fermentation, evaporating the liquid, and drying the tobacco.

2. A method for denicotinizing tobacco comprising the steps of: treating tobacco containing the usual bacteria with a weak alkali to bring it into weakly alkaline condition, submerging the tobacco in a liquid and fermenting it therein, forcing air in a state of fine subdivision through the liquid, continuously adding acid to the extent necessary to neutralize the amino bases resulting from the fermentation, evaporating the liquid, and drying the tobacco.

3. A method for denicotinizing tobacco comprising the steps of fermenting tobacco containing the usual bacteria and submerged in a,

through the liquid, collecting said amino bases and returning them to the tobacco.

5. A method for denicotinizing tobacco comprising the steps of: fermenting tobacco containing the usual bacteria and submerged in a liquid, expelling the amino bases resulting from the fermentation by passing an air current through the liquid, and adding aroma-conferring substances to the tobacco.

LUDWIG MAX LIPPMANN. 

